Saturday, March 21, 2009

Spring Is Here

Spring started yesterday and this is the first full day of Spring. We spent most of yesterday working in the back yard still cleaning up from the winter ice storm. We also turned the earth for the vegetable garden and planted three  new Forsythia bushes where ice  had destroyed old ones.

I love the Forsythia because in the spring it is all yellow and then turns green in the summer. We had them in the parsonage yard in Missouri and I have really missed them.

It was such a nice day working in the yard with my darling bride making our home nice once again. This morning I am off to a Toastmasters speech contest to be a judge. Enjoy your Saturday!

Friday, March 20, 2009

Be Quick and Be Slow

James 1:19  "You must understand this, my beloved, let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger."

Our time is our life and yet we spend so much of it focused on things that sap our energy and crush our spirits. So many people only half listen to what others are saying and thinking that we have hearing something we disagree with we lash out.

In doing so we lose life's many blessings that slip by unnoticed as our anger clouds our vision and our hearing.  Every moment of our lives are precious gifts that need to be savored and enjoyed. To waste them in needless anger robs us of love, relationships and joy. Taking the time to really listen to those around us is worth the effort and may reveal some wonderful blessings.

Be Quick to Listen! Be Slow to anger! Be even slower to speak out! When you do speak make your first words a positive affirmation of the person you are with then offer a corrections if needed and end with another positive word of praise. God gave us two ears and one tongue so listen twice as much as you speak.

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Is it Ture?

During the election I asked a friend what she thought about Obama. She said, "I really like what he says and I really want it to be true."

Too often what a politician says on the path to election has little connection to what is done once in office. Yet we want to believe that the people we elect will work for a better society. In our republic form of government no elected official acts alone. A candidate might want to make great changes but congress has to vote on those changes. Well you know how that works - or doesn't. 

Finding truth in life is difficult and finding it in politicial life is even more so. Jesus said, "If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth and the truth will set you free." [John 8:31-32] Sorting out the truth in life depends on that "IF" and so many of us are living in confusion because we do not continue in the teachings of Jesus.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Leave Her Alone

At the home of Lazarus, whom Jesus had raised from the dead they gave Jesus and his disciples a dinner party. The sisters Mary and Martha were so thankful for thier brothers life that they wanted to express their joy each in their own way.

Martha cooked and served the meal which was her talent.
Mary had a perfume called nard which was very expensive and washed the feet of Jesus with it.

Into this gift of JOY comes the church treasurer with some pithy comments about how money should be spent. You can always find someone who will criticize where spending money is concerned.
I wonder was Judas happy because he got some of the food and unhappy because only Jesus got his feet washed with perfume?

Jesus set him in his place and told Judas to "Leave  her alone!"

How often should we keep our mouth shut when some one is expressing their joy?
[John 12:1-8]

Monday, March 16, 2009

This is my Yellow Rose of Texas garden in my front yard. This is how it looked last fall in full bloom. It is bare at the moment with just the slightest hint of green starting to appear so I know that the promise of this beauty returning is real.

I know that by my past experience with roses and other flowers. Winter is almost over and spring is on its way so I can feel good about my life. God is good and through all the difficulties life can throw at us my experience is that every day comes with a promise of good things to come. Even the stock market will recover from this hard winter of low returns.   

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Taking Our Cues

My wife taught me how to do latch hook art and ruggs. I watched her do it and took my cues from her. The only problem is that she is left handed and I am right handed so at first my efforts were a mess. Then I figured out the right handed way of operating the latch hook and things improved.

When we take our cues from the world, our lives will be flawed because the world has so many ways of doing things that are not God's ways. We need to take our cues from Jesus and follow our master teachers ways of living in this world. Jesus can remove our imperfections and create a lovely pattern for our living.

The world teaches us to get even Jesus teaches us to make things right by doing something good to those who do bad to us. The truth of that action is not always clear at first but it has been proven to work.

Be at peace with everyone including yourself.